[I only now came across this 3 week-old story. Someone must be pushing hard to keep this off the front pages. Most scientists were not told of risks for months after 2014 incident; investigation shows more mishaps at Nevada and New Mexico nuclear sites. *RON*

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[The report "makes fifteen recommendations– many of which are so obvious one wonders why an OIG Report was necessary at all. But it also describes a system that seems to be so broken, I’m not sure what – if any – real effect these suggestions will have. Or whether, even if everyone agrees they’re necessary and desirable, that they’ll actually be adopted. Nor do I hold out much hope that even if adopted, -sufficient staff and money will be made available to implement them effectively. One small glimmer of hope might be that courts could step in and mandate changes. I’m not holding my breath in that regard– I don’t see the current Supreme Court membership as a bastion of support for better treatment of prisoners. And even what tepid support does exist will likely erode further as Trump nominates– and a Republican-controlled Senate confirms– his judicial picks." *RON*] Jerri-Lynn Scofield, Naked Capitalism, 17 July 2017By Jerri-Lynn Scof…

Click here to view the original article.[Hong Kong threatens to deport families who aided US whistle-blower. "No one should have to risk return to torture or persecution because they opened their door to another who feared the same. Canada has a unique opportunity to provide these people and their children both safety and a future." *RON*]

Human Rights Watch, 17 July 2017

(New York) – The Canadian government should fast-track its consideration of the refugee claims of seven people who sheltered US National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden before he left Hong Kong in 2013..

The Hong Kong government has sent the adult asylum seekers detention notices, indicating that they could soon be deported to countries where they would face a credible risk of persecution and abuse. Their very young children face possible persecution if returned, or separation from their parents if the adults are detained and deported.

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[Notes on the rise of populist politicians in Britain and France. "Electorates are no longer armies, but crowds. Identities shaped by religion, class, region, ideology and tradition weaken. Conventional parties are hollowed out, and disoriented and angry voters turn to single-issue campaigns or insurgent populism. Populism is unlikely to come to power in normal circumstances because of its evident risks. However, volatility is now normal, and accidents happen"]
Robert Tombs, New Statesman, 16 July 2017

Britain seems to have joined the rest of the democratic world in the volatility of its politics. Electorates are no longer armies, but crowds. Identities shaped by religion, class, region, ideology and tradition weaken. Conventional parties are hollowed out, and disoriented and angry voters turn to single-issue campaigns or insurgent populism. In every country this takes diverse forms shaped by political institutions and political cultu…

[How the world sees China and America, based on opinion polling in 38 countries. America is seen as the top global economic power, leading China in aggregate opinion by 42% to 32%. But seven out of the ten EU countries surveyed — including Germany and the UK — rate China as the world’s top economy. China is most admired in sub-Saharan Africa and in Russia, least admired among its East Asia neighbours. Xi Jinping is distrusted by 53% of respondents; Donald Trump by 74. *RON*]

Richard Wike, Jacob Poushter, Laura Silver & Caldwell Bishop, Pew Global, 13 July 2017
The past decade has witnessed significant changes in the global economy as many nations around the world have struggled with the Great Recession and its aftereffects. While the United States and other relatively wealthy Western nations have slowly bounced back from the crisis, economic growth rates have been low compared with those of China, India and other emerging economies. Still, th…